Monorail railway.



M. SGHEFTEL.

MONORAIL RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3,1911

1,034,840. Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 1A F /3 23 M/ 4 77M M. SCHEFTEL. MoNoRAIL RAILWAY.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3,1911.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

l ff UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

-MAX scHEFTEn or mzooxLYN, NEW YORK, assieivon To GEORGE scimmia., "0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

MONORAIL RAILWAY.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAX SCHEETEL, a citizen of the United States, and resident of 139 Division avenue, Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements. 1n Monorail Railways, of which the followlng is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in monorails and more specifically to means for facilitating the propulsion of cars, locomotives and the like over a. single rail.

The.leading feature of my invention consists in providing a simple, inexpensive and highly efficient device arranged to'move across and be supported on a single rail, and to transport freight at a greater speed than is at present attainable by means of the double rail track.

It is a well known fact that cars placed on a single line of wheels will run much faster than if placed on a double rail as at present and it follows that if a car or locomotive can be made to run on a single rail in a normal stable upright position it mustnecessarily travel faster than the ordinary trains, at the same time using an equal amount of fuel or electricity.

The object Vof ,my-invention is to provide a new arrangement of a car constructed with the end in view of propelling it on a single rail, the traction power communicated to the wheel mounted on said rail being furnished by horizontal wheels designed to run along the walls of a conduit in the interspace of which the train making up the cars is held vertically 'disposed at a-ll times.

By mounting the rail on the surface of the road fbedand causing they horizontal wheels to Cprotrude through the sides of the train an to .engage oppositely arranged abutment it is 'possible for the cars to move smoothly and speedily along the road bed without losing lts equilibrium or stability. With the above and other objects in view my invention consists in the combination, ar ran ement and' details of construction shown in t e drawings and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

. Similary reference characters designate similar parts throughout the several views, wherein, Y

Figure 1 is a'si'def'elevat-ion of a car constructed in accordance with my idea and arranged to be propelled on Athe usual road Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 3, 1911.

run.

Patented Augu, 1912. Serial No. 624,886.

.showing a different species of horizontal wheels, and Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the car shown in Fig. 1.

In the drawings which are merely illustrativey of my invention two species of cars will be described arranged to run over a single rail and to be supported thereupon, the cars being provided with traction wheels serv-ing the two-fold function of propelling the vehicle and guiding it in a vertical plane. According to one of the forms `of my invention, a conduit l, five or more yards in width, is to be excavated and smooth walls 2 and 3 formed of any strong material such as concrete or steel, are to be built along its two'sides the whole length of the rI`he depth of the conduit l will be sufficient to accommodate the lower part of my newly 4constructed car o r cars, locomotives, etc., while it is Aexpedient that the up per part or main body of the car project above the surface of the conduit. Upon suitable foundations 4 horizontally. disposed and laid along the entire length of .the road an ordinary single rail will be mounted, said `foundations being preferably embedded in the bottom l5 of the conduit 1, and the wheels of each car are to rest Aupon and run along the rail.

To cause the cars to move in the conduit with the least resistance from air currents,

I have devised a car having a tapering botof cars in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. The sides of the tapering bottom of the car are designated 9 and 10 respectively and terminate in abottom rectangular portion 11 against the sides of which will be suitably secured the vertically disposed surfaces 12 of brackets 13 and 14 respectively, said brackets having inclined offsets 15 overlying the sides Q and 10 of the car respectively. For the urpose of reinforcing said brackets they wil preferably be ribbed at 16.

From Figs. 1 and 2 it will be noticed that the lower frame 8 of the car is composed of walls which are oppositely arranged, one pair Quand 10`tapering-comformably to the transverse axis of the car and the other 17 and '[18 forming the ends of the frame tapering conformably to its longitudinal axis. The brackets 13 and 14 will preferably be disposed at the ends of the bottom portion 11. Any other suitable means may be used to mount the wheels 19 at the bottom of the car, said Wheels being vpreferably formed with two flanges 20 and 21 to obtain better purchase upon the rail 6. Mounted in recesses 22 formed in each bracket are the usual axle boxes 23 engaging coiled springs 24 mounted in said recesses, the axles in said axle boxes being designated 24. It will be noticed that the wheels 19 will be held by said brackets spaced under and substantially intermediate the edges of the portion 11 thereby causing said wheels under the action of gravity, to take up the concentrated weight of a structure that may effectively be held in equilibrium, and against lateral wabbling.

It is desirable to brace the bottom tapering structure of the car and this may be'done by placing gussets 25 at the corners thereof.

The car 1s provided with a compartment 26 in which the driving mechanism is disposed. The bottom or floor of this compartment is designated 27. A rigid tie bar 28 is caused to engage the floor 27 and each of the sides 9 and 10 respectively of the tapered structure, as shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5, the gussets 25 being riveted or otherwise fastened to converging pairs of these bars. Within the compartment 26 and above each and every wheel one or two axles are to be vertically .disposed to accommodate a single driving horizontal wheel or two oppositely arranged toothed wheels also horizontally disposed and arranged to operate in the same way to impart motion to the wheels 19.

The width of the car will be smaller than the width of the conduit 1 and owing to the arrangement of the single rail 6 the car may be held in a true vertical position so that the interspaces 29 and 30 are equal at each side thereof. In Fig. 3 a shaft 31 is vertically disposed in bearings 32 and 33 securedrespectively tothe top and bottom of compartment 26, so 'as to be in vertical alinement relativelyto the ywheels 19. On the hub 34,

of said walls.

mounted upon said shaft a traction wheel 35 is rotatably fixed being of a diameter equal to the width of the conduit 1 and. protruding through the oppositely alined slots 25 and 36 formed in the sides of the bottom frame 8, so as to be in position to engage the metallic frictional members 37 and 38, at opposite tangential points, said members being secured upon the sides 2 and 3 of the conduit by any suitable means. It will be understood that any number of these wheels may be provided in a train, two being preferably provided and disposed at the ends of each car and that the members 37 and 38 ,will run continuously co-extensively with the length of the single rail 6, said members being disposed preferably at the upper ends vt-atably fixed upon each of the shafts and mounted on bosses 41 and 42 are relatively large spur wheels 43` and 44 respectively,

These horizontal Wheels each of which protrudes through one of the so as to propel the car or train in one and the same direction.

In cities where the building of such excavations are not allowed by law or otherwise, the construction of the cars will be dit ferent. The rail 6 will be laid preferably along the center of the street, upon suitable ties and a plurality of oppositely arranged osts 45 and 46 similar in style to the present elevated ro'ad posts, are to be built, preferably 50 feet apart lengthwise. These posts will be secured to the roadbed by any suitable means, such as brackets 51 and will be `just enough apart in breadth to let the car pass through comfortably. These posts, as shown clearly in Eig. 5 are similar to inverted legs of a horseshoe, since the arched portion 52 is arranged to steady said posts at their ends. As an additional means of bracing said posts above the cars the struts 53 and 54are crossed and secured to each other at an intersectingl point and at their ends to the arched portion 52.

The construction of the lower framework 'of the car is similar to that described but uiol inspection of Fig. 5. Instead of a lower compartment 26 being formed upon the vehicle an upper compartment 55 is formed carrying the essential driving mechanism at a point above the passengers compartment. It will be seen that the upper end of the car is formed with longitudinal sides 56 and 57 which taper from large at the bottom to small at the top and ends58` and 59 which also taper toward the roof so as to give a boat like appearance at the top as well as at the bottom of the car. Either a horizontal friction wheel or two spurwheels may be employed as hereinbefore described, to propel the car and in Fig. 5 the horizontal Wheel 35 is shown mounted as already described. It will be understood that in the type of car shown in Fig. 5, the alining slots 35 and 36 will be formed in compartment 55 and the arrangement is such that the traction wheel 35 will keep the car in an upright position and guide it in its horizontal course coperatively with the single rail 6, and in this way the walls 2 and 3 may be eliminated and the ear held against displacement at diametrically opposite points at the top and bottom of the car respectively.

The motive power for driving the traction Wheels can be Veither steam, electric or any other. In case electric power be utilized a third rail will be laid along one of the walls of the canal and as the uses of the third rail are common and understood, no drawings are necessary to illustrate them. The horizontal wheels of the upper part of the car will run along on iron, steel or any other material planks 60 andl 61, which will be riveted to the upper sides of the posts and laid along the entire length of the course. When the single traction wheel 35 or each of the oppositely arranged spur wheels 43 and 44 is rotated the frictional engagement of the wheels 19 upon the single rail 6 and of said first named wheels with the steel members 45 and 46, will be such that the car will be sent rapidly forward or rearward according to the direction desired and will be guided in its course by the single` rail 6 which must sustain the entire weight and load of the car. The horizontal wheels will make it possible for the cars to move between the walls of the conduit at any desirable speed.

. From the above it will be obvious that the monorail system of locomotion is Practical, and that the construction of cars and locomotives madein accordance with the principles outlined will adequately meet all conditions of the new system of locomotion.

The mechanical principle uponl which my invention is based is simple and is as fol lows: The power translnitted through an object acting as a lever to another object will not decrease the speed of the object,

and as the objectis moved on a single rail its speed must necessarily be increased, a train constructed as above described is prac tically wedged in between two walls so than it will be impossible for it to run oli' the track whereby thousands of human lives will be saved. As thus arranged the speed power of the train will be increased and the steadiness of the train will be the same as if there were two lines of rails upon which it stood.

By means of my construction cars may be easily built two or more stories in height thereby making 1t unnecessary to move man)T trains. This will cheapen freightrates and passenger rates and will tend to encourage the construction of railroads among the sparsely populated districts and deserts throughout the world. It will also be possible to attain thehighest speed without any risk whatsoever, which in the present system of locomotion is a feature of demerit.

Numerous modifications may be resorted to in practice without departing in essence from the invention disclosed.

I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. In combination with a conduit, a vehicle of lesser width than said conduit, and having its bottom projecting thereinto, a single rail cent-rally disposed at the bottom of said conduit, a boat like frame formed at the bottom of said car, oppositely arranged Hanged wheels mounted in central alinement at the apex of said frame for engaging said I 2. In combination with 'a conduit, a car,

of lesser width thereto and having a boat shaped frameat its bottom projecting into said conduit below its top, wheels disposed in alinement at the bottom of said frame, means for mounting said wheels upon'said frame, a single rail engaged by said wheels,

and mounted upon the bottom of said conduit, longitudinally extending plates mounted at the top of each wall of said conduit, a compartment formed upon said car above said frame, shafts vertically disposed in said compartments in alinement with said wheels, the sides of said car formed at opposite ends with slots, a relatively large traction wheel mounted on each of said vertical shafts and projecting through a slot at each end of the car to frictionally engage said plates whereby said car is held against wabbling and means for rotating said last named wheels.

3. In combination with a conduit, a' car of lesser width thereto and having a boatshaped frame at its bottom projecting into said conduit below its top, wheels disposed in alinement at the bottom of said frame, means for mounting said wheels upon said frame, a single rail engaged by said Wheels and mounted upon the bottom of said conduit, oppositely arranged vertical shafts mounted at each end in said compartment, oppositely arranged slots formed at the opposite ends of the sides of said compartment, longitudinally extending rack bars mounted at the upper ends of the walls of said conduit, spaced apart spur wheels mounted on said oppositely arranged vertical shafts protruding through said slots to engage said rack bars, whereby said car is held against wabbling, means for rotating one of said oppositely arranged wheels clockwise and the other anticlockwise.

et. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of spaced apart upright posts arranged in pairs` friction plates connected to the sides of the posts, a vertical car disposed between said posts, a boat shaped frame formed at the top and bottom of said car, a single rail mounted centrally of said posts, bracket members-having inclined portions secured to the sides of the bottom boat shaped frame and havin depending portions carrying axles, a ange wheel mounted on each axle and engaging said single rail, a compartment at the upper end of said car, relatively large horizontally disposed wheels frictionally engaging said Jrlriction plates to hold said car against Wabbling and to impart motion to said rst named wheels and means for bracing said posts above the top of the car.

Signed at 139 Division ave., Brooklyn, N. Y., in the county of Kings and State of New York this 28th day of March A. D. 1911.

MAX SCHEF TEL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." 

